Water, energy, and food security in the Mekong region presents management and governance challenges that are complex in their interlinked effects on natural and social systems. In the context of environmental change and ecologically sustainable development, these systems-wide, complex, and interlinked effects are often referred to as “the water-food-energy nexus.” Through a consultative process with local and international research and policy actors, LMPPI partners will formulate a series of research and policy questions which highlight the region’s response to particular nexus challenges and the policy dialogue needed for aligning this response with the region’s sustainable development goals.

Southeast Asia is shifting the center of global energy demand. According to the IEA, Southeast Asia will be responsible for 40% of the increase in global energy demand by 2030. Total energy demand in Southeast Asia is expected to double by 2035. To meet growing demand, many new energy infrastructure projects are underway.

Rice is the most important agricultural commodity of Cambodia and the source of income for approximately 85 percent of rural households. It contributes about 4.5 percent of GDP and 20 percent of the total household income. A substantial volume of surplus rice is informally exported to neighboring countries as raw paddy due to a lack of milling capacity.

The establishment of the East-West Economic Corridor (EWEC) has been considered as a motivation for developing and promoting the regional economic integration among Lower Mekong Basin countries. The EWEC could bring benefits to some places and stakeholders, such as generating employment, increasing trade and investment, facilitating agricultural production and tourism.

The proper management of floodplain natural resources in the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam can contribute to livelihood sustainability and resilience at multiple scales against anticipated changes in this area. The proposed study will provide options for utilizing the floodplain natural resources to help sustain agricultural output and livelihood generation.

Shrimp monoculture has gradually encroached on the buffer zone in the coastal region of the Mekong Delta which is suited to the rice-shrimp rotation system. Deciding between these two production systems poses a dilemma. There is a trade-off between short-term economic benefits and long-term sustainable land use.